Fixing Things
We know how to fix
things. We know who to
bring on when our team
is losing. We watch the
news and know how we
would fix the situation.
Simple. Just close the
borders. Just put them in
jail.
There are different kinds
of problems, though, which need different kinds of
fixes. Simple problems take a couple of obvious
steps to solve. The light in the passage: ladder, globe, replace.
There are things which need expertise beyond us.
We recently needed to replace our oven. My ever-wise
wife, after watching me contemplate blowing
up the new oven with a self-install, said “Just get in
the guys who know”. And in two twos they installed,
and switched on.
There are things I need to work on – I can’t fix them
all at once. Weight loss. Work-life balance. Cultivating
good habits, shedding bad habits. One small
action at a time.
And there are things I need to let go, and let grow,
or let heal. Farmers plant seeds, and leave them in
the ground to grow. I clean a wound, put a plaster
on it to protect it, and leave it to heal.
Then there are the big complex problems. Many
factors influence each other. There is no one easy
answer – often one needs to balance painful things,
and often fixes backfire. A rebellious kid. Making
decisions about elderly parents. Emigrating or staying.
Saving lives while not killing the economy.
Often we don’t know where to start, often we despair.
But God knows, and cares, and listens, and
guides – He says so in 2 Chronicles 7:14. If we would
only admit our weaknesses, if we would only spend
time with him, seek Him in everything we do, and listen
to His guidance when He shows us the way, then
we would experience His helping hand, and His
grace, peace, and healing just where we need it.
Blessings, Andrew.